1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to guitar bridges and stopbars and more particularly to string specific saddles for a guitar bridge, and rigidly mounted guitar bridges and stopbars (or tailpieces) that become fixedly mounted to the body of a guitar. Additionally, the present invention relates to guitar components having universally sized screws to allow for adjustment thereof via a universally sized adjustment tool.
2. Description of the Related Art
Steel string guitars generally have separate structures in the string system. These structures must be carefully installed and aligned for the strings to accurately reproduce the desired notes upon being plucked or strummed.
As shown in FIG. 1, a tailpiece 100 is mounted on a body of an exemplary 6-string guitar and holds one end of strings 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, and 112. The tailpiece 100 provides the mechanical strength for the tension of the stretched strings against the body of the guitar. These strings 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, and 112 then pass over a bridge 120, which is used to initially set the tuning of the guitar so the guitar plays in tune with the proper tone and timbre. The bridge includes a number of saddles (e.g., one for each string), wherein each string passes over a respective saddle. Each saddle is similarly constructed and may include a uniformly-sized notch, through which the string passes to hold its respective string above the bridge and guitar at a desired height. Alternatively, the saddle may have no notches at all. The position of each saddle (within the bridge) along the length of the guitar (i.e., in a string extension direction) may be altered to adjust the intonation of each string. Conventional saddles, however, are not string-specific (i.e., configured to accommodate a specific string size (or size range)), and thus, may require additional adjustment in order to properly set each desired string height. Moreover, as conventional saddles are not string-specific, conventional saddles do not provide an optimum fit for each of the strings. That is, as conventional saddles are provided with a single size notch for each of the six saddles, a smaller diameter string (e.g., a B-string) will sit lower in its respective saddle notch, than a larger diameter string (e.g., a low E-string) in its respective saddle notch having the same size. Conversely, with conventional saddles, the larger diameter string (e.g., a low E-string) will sit higher (and less securely) in its respective saddle notch, than a smaller diameter string (e.g., a B-string).
In an electric guitar, the strings 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, and 112 will also pass over one or more magnetic or other types of pickups 130. The pickups 130 are used to convert the physical vibrations of the strings 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, and 112 into electrical energy which can then be electrically amplified.
The strings 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, and 112 then extend over, but do not contact, multiple frets (not shown) on the guitar. Towards a neck of the guitar, the strings 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, and 112 then pass over a nut (not shown) to tuning pegs (not shown). The tuning pegs are adjustable to increase or decrease the tension of each respective string 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, and 112. This raises or lowers the frequency of the tone of each string so that the proper notes are heard upon plucking or strumming the guitar. Between the nut and the bridge 120 are the various frets between which the strings 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, and 112 are depressed so that the effective length of the string is shortened to thereby increase the frequency at which that particular string vibrates.
An important factor in a quality electric guitar is the guitar sound. The material of the body, the quality of the magnetic or other pickups (e.g., piezo pickups), the rigidity of the guitar itself, the accuracy of the placement and spacing of the strings 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, and 112 above the fingerboard and associated frets, the actual placement of the frets, and the quality of the tuning bridge 120 are all important to the overall sound of the guitar.
The strings 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, and 112 are stretched initially between the bridge 120 and the nut just to tune the strings 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, and 112 to their proper respective note. Then the strings 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, and 112 are stressed further by a guitar player, upon playing, by forcing the strings 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, and 112 down onto the fingerboard between frets. Because of the energy with which some players play their guitars, the strings 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, and 112 stretch and often have to be replaced daily or even while playing. This requires that the strings 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, and 112 be removed from the tuning pegs, the body of the guitar, and the tailpiece 100, respectively.
With prior art devices, since the bridge 120, and possibly the stopbar (or tailpiece) 100, may only be held in place by the tension of the strings 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, and 112, the replacement of the strings 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, and 112 required that the entire guitar be completely retuned every time a string or strings are replaced.
Also, with prior art devices, when all of the guitar strings 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, and 112 are removed, the bridge 120 became freely removable. In order to address this, it has been known to secure the bridge and/or tailpiece to the guitar through screws inserted in a direction parallel to the string length through the bridge to contact securing posts on which the bridge is mounted. Prior art methods, however, do not provide for optimum securing of the bridge to the guitar. Additionally, with prior art methods, the screws securing the bridge to the guitar are difficult to access, which may cause a guitarist to damage their guitar when making such adjustments.
Furthermore, with prior art methods, different adjustments of the bridge and/or tailpiece components require different tools. For example, a tool for securing the bridge to the posts of the guitar would not be useable to, e.g., adjust the height of a particular saddle. Thus, a guitarist would need to carry a plurality of tools in order to be able to make all of the different adjustments to the bridge and/or stopbar (or tailpiece).
Therefore, there is a need for an improved system and method for providing a bridge and tailpiece for a guitar.